Judy Garland Roses

History of Judy Garland Roses:

Judy Garland roses were first bred in 1977 in the United Kingdom by the Harkness family, and later introduced to market by their rose company, Harkness & Co. Ltd. This particular variety of Floribunda was created by crossing elements of several different roses, including the Tropicana and Circus roses, the Sabine rose, and the Pineapple Poll rose. The result of this blending created a brightly colored yellow rose with sharp red edges and highlights.

The blooms on the rose Judy Garland will be typical for most Floribunda roses, about 4 inches or so in diameter, and the blooms will be somewhat full, having as many as 35 or more petals per bloom. Not only is this rose stunning to look at, but it comes with a great sweet smelling fragrance that smells a lot like fresh apples. The plant itself will grow to almost 5 feet tall and will have a spread of 3 to 4 feet across. This is a great rose for cut flower arrangements, and it also makes a fabulous container rose!

Growing Judy Garland Roses:

Growing the rose Judy Garland is not at all difficult and if you have any prior experience growing roses, then you are not likely to find this one very challenging. The biggest decision you will need to make will be where in the garden you choose to grow your roses. Roses in general require a lot of sun light in order to do well, and this variety is no exception. Try to select a location that gets a minimum of 6 to 8 hours a day of direct sun light.

You also will need to grow your Judy Garland roses in soil that drains very well. This will go a long way towards keeping your roses strong and healthy. There are a wide range of commercially available garden soils, so selecting one is fairly easy. You should also not be shy about exposing your rose Judy Garland to the natural air currents that flow through your garden. Proper airflow will keep the leaves of your roses dry and the overall plant that much healthier.

Planting Judy Garland Roses:

Getting the rose Judy Garland into the ground is pretty straight forward and most gardeners can get this step accomplished with just a few basic hand tools. If you bought your rose from a local nursery, then chances are it was already established for you in a container and ready to blooms. These are the easiest roses to plant. Dig your hole at least twice the diameter of the container it came in, and equally as deep. This will give you ample room around the roots for your soil mix, while keeping the bud union at its original depth, which is very important.

If you bought your Judy Garland roses online, then they probably shipped them to you as bareroot plants, which is very common for these purchases. You should first soak these overnight in a bucket of room temperature water, prior to planting day, to rehydrate the roots. Then dig yourself a hole that is as wide as the longest roots on the plant, and deep enough to allow you to set the plant on top of a mound of soil, while keeping the bud union no more than an inch or so below the surface of the soil.

Once you have your rose Judy Garland set in place on the mound, spread the roots out in all directions and then back fill the hole about halfway to start using your soil mix. Take the garden hose and water the loose soil heavily until it flows around the roots like mud. Then you can go ahead and back fill the hole the rest of the way and give it one more heavy watering. Do NOT tamp down the soil. This method should ensure that no air pockets have formed around the roots.

If your climate is very hot or dry during planting time, you should consider mounding up some fresh soil around the exposed canes just until new growth starts to form. This will help prevent them from drying out.

Caring for Judy Garland Roses:

Taking care of the rose Judy Garland is a simple task and once again, any past experience you may have growing roses will certainly come in handy here as well. You will need to make sure that you are providing your roses with ample water, while taking care not to overdo it. For most climates this usually amounts to about one deep watering every week. If you know your climate tends to run hot and dry most of the time, then you should check on your roses every 4 to 5 days.

You also should consider giving your Judy Garland roses a dose of a good all-purpose fertilizer in the early spring when the leaves start to form. This will give your roses a fast jump on the season. Like most Floribundas, this variety is also a repeat bloomer, so it will benefit from a few additional feedings over the course of the growing season. I will usually give my roses their second feeding immediately following the first big bloom, and then a third feeding sometime around the middle of summer, to encourage late season flushes. Your rose Judy Garland will do well on this schedule also.

Pruning Judy Garland Roses:

You should prune your rose Judy Garland in the very early spring when the weather starts to warm, but before the leaves open. This makes it much easier to see what you are doing. Start by removing all the dead and discolored wood from the plant, and set your cuttings aside. Next, prune back any overlapping lateral canes, as these will eventually compete with one another for sun light when the leaves fully open. Lastly, give the remaining canes a cut back by about one-third of their current height to promote new growth.

This is also a great time to clean up around the base of your Judy Garland roses and get rid of all the dead leaves and debris that may have collected there from the previous season. Throw all of this material away in the trash, along with your cuttings. Never let dead matter lay around your roses as it will quickly turn into a breeding ground for pests and diseases. Finish up your pruning by giving your roses a fresh new layer of mulch to start off the growing season.